1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing method and system using a terminal apparatus. Particularly, it relates to an information processing method and system using a terminal apparatus, in which a subject is indicated by the terminal apparatus so that attribute information of the subject is displayed on the terminal apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, there are often various kinds of electric and electronic apparatuses arranged in a home or in an office. In this case, it is necessary to operate these apparatuses by use of remote controllers in accordance with these apparatuses or by use of operating buttons attached to these apparatuses. Although examples of these apparatuses may include a television set, a DVD recorder, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a ceiling (lighting fixture), a personal computer, a printer, a facsimile machine, a copying machine, etc., the invention is not limited thereto. In the case where one of these apparatuses needs to be operated, it is necessary to find the place where the remote controller of the apparatus is located when the remote controller is not at hand, or it is necessary to go to the place where the apparatus is located, so as to operate the apparatus. For this reason, operability is poor. In addition, when one of these apparatuses needs to be repaired or exchanged for a new apparatus, instructions for the apparatus has to be found and read or the apparatus has to be checked immediately, in order to know how to repair, the new apparatus to be exchanged, or how to exchange. This is inconvenient.
In connection with this kind of problem, for example, JP-A-2003-70075 has proposed an adaptive operation aid apparatus for simplifying selection of a plurality of kinds of electronic apparatuses and selection of a plurality of kinds of actions of each electronic apparatus. In such an aid apparatus, a portable phone device is used for selection of the electronic apparatuses or selection of the actions of the apparatus. Therefore, electronic apparatuses such as a television set, a telephone, an interphone, etc. can be operated. On a liquid crystal display panel of the portable phone device, the electronic apparatuses and the actions of the electronic apparatuses are displayed. When one of these electronic apparatuses is selected, various kinds of actions each of which can be achieved by the selected electronic apparatus are displayed. At the time of display, these actions are displayed in order of frequency in use so that selection from these actions can be made. Accordingly, selection of an action with highest priority can be made and the number of operations on the portable phone device can be reduced so that improvement in operability can be improved.
In the method disclosed in JP-A-2003-70075, an operation of selecting a desired one from a plurality of electronic apparatuses is required first. However, it cannot be said that the method is sufficient in terms of operability. In this method, there is a problem that operability is deteriorated as the number of electronic apparatuses as objects to be operated increases. This is because it is not easy to select a desired one from a large number of electronic apparatuses on a small display screen of the portable phone device. When electronic apparatuses of this type have to be repaired or exchanged for new apparatuses in the background-art method, it is necessary to refer to instructions for these apparatuses and make phone calls or send messages through a facsimile machine in order to make repair requests for the apparatuses individually or place orders for the new apparatuses to be exchanged. This leaves room for improvement.